This collection of anecdotes of wise men, scholars, monks of Buddhist and Taoist origin, even of emperors and their concubines, written by Liu Yiqing 劉義慶 (1st half 5th cent.), can be used as a trustworthy parallel history of the Jin dynasty, because the official history of the Jin, the Jinshu 晉書, was written during the Tang dynasty, more than centuries after the Jin dynasty had ended. All parallel histories of the Jin dynasty, which number almost two dozen, have all perished. The sources for this collection are also the fountain for many novels about this time when people tried to free themselves of a stringent bureaucracy.	Chapters of the Shishuo xinyu 1.德行 Dexing 2.言語 Yanyu 3.政事 Zhengshi 4.文學 Wenxue 5.方正 Fangzheng 6.雅量 Yaliang 7.識鑒 Shijian 8.賞譽 Shangyu 9.品藻 Pinzao 10.規箴 Guizhen 11.捷悟 Jiewu 12.夙惠 Suhui 13.豪爽 Haoshuang 14.容止 Rongzhi 15.自新 Zixin 16.企羨 Qixian 17.傷逝 Shangshi 18.棲逸 Qiyi 19.賢媛 Xianyuan 20.術解 Shujie 21.巧藝 Qiaoyi 22.寵禮 Chongli 23.任誕 Rendan 24.簡傲 Jian'ao 25.排調 Paidiao 26.輕詆 Jingdi 27.假譎 Jiaju 28.黜免 Chumian 29.儉嗇 Jianse 30.汰侈 Taiyi 31.忿狷 Fenyuan 32.讒險 Chanxian 33.尤悔 Youhui 34.紕漏 Biluo 35.惑溺 Huoruo 36.仇隙 Chouxi
	Exemplarious translation: 2.＜言語＞ 57.顧悅與簡文同年，而發騷白。簡文曰：「卿何以先白？」對曰：「蒲柳之姿， 望秋而落；松柏之質，經霜彌茂。」 Speech and conversation Gu Yue (the painter Gu Kaizhi's father) was the same age as emperor Jianwen (r. 371-72), but his hair had turned white earlier. Jianwen asked him, "How is it you've turned white first?" Gu replied, "The character of the rushes and willow is to drop their leaves as they approach the autumn, while the nature of pines and cypresses is to be still more luxuriant amid the ice and frost." 4.＜文學＞ 10.何晏注釋《老子》，未畢，見王弼自說注《老子》旨，何意多所短，不復得作聲， 但應諾諾，遂不復注，因作《道德論》。 Letters and Scholarship He Yan had been writing a commentary on the Laozi and had not yet finished when he went to visit Wang Bi. Wang explained for him the gist of his own commentary on the Laozi. He's ideas for the most part were inferior to Wang's, so he never got make a sound, except only to answer "Quite so, quite so." After he had did not go on with his commentary, but composed separate treatises on the Way and the Power instead. 42.支道林初從東出，住東安寺中。王長史宿構精理，并選其才藻，往與支語，不大當對。王敘致數百語，自謂是名理奇藻。支徐徐謂曰：「身與君別多年，君義言了不長進。」王大慚而退。 When Zhidun first came out to the capital from the east, he lived at the Dung'an Temple. Wang Meng, having workes out beforehand his choicest arguments, and in additon having selected the finest examples of his eloquence, went to converse with Zhidun, but the latter did not offer much response. Wang set forth his ideas in several hundred words, thinking to himself that they were the most elegant and wonderful of all Names and Principles. Zhidun said to him very calmly and deliberately, "You and I have been separated many years, but your interpretations and terminology haven't made any progress whatever." Wang withdrew in great embarrassment. 93.孫興公道曹輔佐才如白地明光錦，裁為負版，非無文采，酷無裁製。 Sun Zhuo characterized Cao Pei's literary style, saying, "It's like bright luminary brocade with a white ground, cut to make breeches for a lowly census-board bearer. Not that there's any lack of pattern of color, but there's definitely no cut or shape." 18.＜栖逸＞ 2.嵇康游於汲郡山中，遇道士孫登，遂與之游。康臨去，登曰：「君才則高矣，保身之道不足。」 Living in Retirement While Xi Kang was wandering among the mountains of Ji commandery, he met the Taoist adept Sun Deng, and thereafter continued his wanderings in his company. As Kang was on the eve of departing, Deng said: "As far as your ability is concerned, it's enough, but your way of preserving your own life is inadequate." 3.山公將去選曹，欲舉嵇康，康與書告絕。 When Shan Tao was about to leave the Selection Bureau and wanted to recommend Xi Kang as his successor, Kang wrote him a letter announcing the breaking off of their friendship. 23.＜任＞ 3.劉伶病酒，渴甚，從婦求酒。婦損酒毀器，涕泣諫曰：「君飲太過，非攝生之道，必宜斷之。」伶曰：「甚善。我不能自禁，唯當祝鬼神自誓斷之耳。便可具酒肉。」婦曰：「敬聞命。」供酒肉於神前，請伶祝誓。伶跪而祝曰：「天生劉伶，以酒為名，一飲一斛，五斗解酲。婦人之言，慎不可聽。」便引酒進肉，隗然已醉矣。 The Free and Unrestrained Liu Ling was once suffering from a hangover, and, being extremely thirsty, asked his wife for some wine. His wife, who had poured out all the wine and smashed the vessels, pleaded with tears in her eyes, saying: "You're drinking far too much. It's no way to preserve your life. You'll have to stop it." Ling said, "A very good idea. But I'm unable to stop by myself. It can only be done if I pray to the ghosts and spirits and take an oath that I'll stop it. So you may get ready the wine and meat for the sacrifice." His wife said, "As you wish," and setting out wine and meat before the spirits, requested Ling to pray and take his oath. Ling knelt down and prayed, "Heaven produced Liu Ling, and took 'wine' for his name. At one gulp he will down a gallon - five dipperfuls to ease the hangover. As for his wife's complaint, be careful not to listen." Whereupon he drained the wine and ate up the meat, and before he knew it was already drunk again. 8.阮公鄰家婦，有美色，當壚酤酒。阮與王安奉常從婦飲酒，阮醉，便眠其婦側。夫始殊疑之，伺察，終無他意。 The wife of Ruan Ji's neighbor was very pretty. She worked as a barmaid tending the vats and selling vine. Ruan and Wang Rung frequently drank at her place, and after Ruan became druke he would sleep by this woman's side. Her husband at first was extraordinarily suspicious of him, but after careful investigation he ceased after a while to think anything amiss. 33.＜尤悔＞ 15.簡文見田稻，不識，問是何草，左右答是稻。簡文還，三日不出，云：「寧有賴其末而不識其本？」 Blameworthiness and Remorse Emperor Jianwen once saw some rice growing in a paddy, and, not recognizing what it was, asked, "What kind of grass is that?" His attendants replied, "It's rice." After the emperor returned, he did not go out again for three days. As he explained, "How could anyone depend on the end product without recognizing the source?" Translated by Richard B. Mather.